“Baby, you’re a grown woman. You’re smart and beautiful and the furthest thing from irresponsible there is. If you wanted to fire him, you had every right to. This is your life. Just do me a favor and try to be aware of your surroundings until I get home. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Easton . . .” I trail off, blown away by his trust in me. I stare at him, wishing he were here for the second time in twenty-four hours.
“I’ve got to go, princess. We’re boarding the plane to head to Washington.”
“Okay. Enjoy your night off and kick ass during your game tomorrow.” I end the call, wondering how this man—my husband—can have such blind faith in me, but my own mother can’t.
I get out of my car and run into Gracie. Her hair is pulled back in a bun, and a heavy puffer jacket is thrown on over her sweats and Uggs. “On your way to practice?”
“Yeah. I just let Myrtle out. She’s sleeping.” Grace points at my face. “What’s with that?”
“With what?”
“That look on your face. You’re up to something.”
Am I up to something?
I guess maybe I am.
“I think I may be falling for my husband,” I tell her as an idea comes together.
“Yes. I love it. I’m here for all the romance. And you and Easton will make pretty babies.”
“Calm down, good twin. Let me figure out this whole marriage thing before we start talking babies.”
Gracie laughs as she walks by me and opens her car door. “Just saying, I call godmother.”
She shuts the door, and I smile as I decide I’m here for the romance too.
I shoot Bryn a quick text.
Lindy
What hotel are you guys staying in tonight?
Brynlee
Why?
Lindy
I need to know where I’m going once I land.
Sources close to the Kingston family tell this reporter there’s trouble within the royals. The Kingstons aren’t happy their baby has married the hockey hottie and staged an intervention at everyone’s favorite sweet shop earlier today. Will this be the last straw for our lovebirds or will America’s sweetheart stand by her man? Only time will tell.
#KroydonKronicles
EASTON
“Wanna grab dinner?”
I look over at Boone, who hasn’t stopped staring at his phone. Over the past twenty-four hours, I’ve learned he’s not just our co-captain. As far as I can tell, he’s also our social director. He may have actually missed his calling. “Is Kingston gonna be there?”
“Come on, cradle robber, you know he is,” he taunts with a goofy-ass grin.
He also never seems to take anything but his game seriously.
On the ice, he’s a killer. Off the ice, he’s the joker.
“Fucker. She’s barely five years younger than me.”
“Yeah, I know. But it’s so much fun to piss you off. Kingston’s sister is like this on-off switch for you. Him too, now that I think about it.”
“Yeah. I’m gonna pass on dinner.” I’m not willingly forcing myself to deal with Jace any more than I have to.
“You’re never gonna mesh with the team if you keep hiding in here, Hayes.” He’s not wrong, but there’s not a chance in hell I’m telling him that or that I’m having dinner with Jace.
“Listen, I’m trying to respect Kingston and steer clear. At least for now.”
“We got three more days, Hayes. You gonna hide the whole time?”
There’s a knock on the door, and Boone waits to see if I’m gonna change my mind.
I’m not.
“All right. But I’m gonna get you to come out with us at some point,” he tells me before he grabs his coat and leaves.
Fuck.
Not two minutes later, there’s another fucking knock.
“Dude. What? Did you forget your key card?” I yank the door open and stop, frozen in place. “You’re not Boone.”
“No,” Lindy’s eyes light up. “I’m not.”
“Princess . . . how are you here?”
She lifts up on her toes and kisses my cheek, and I swear I feel that one fucking touch everywhere. “Wanna run away with me?”
“What?” I laugh. “I kinda signed a contract that says I need to be here tomorrow.”
“That’s okay. It’s just one date. I’ll have you back tonight. You game?”
“To run away with my wife? Fuck yeah, I’m game.” I grab my hoodie and take her hand in mine. “Where to, Mrs. Hayes?”
She stops and looks at me, her eyes fucking shimmering like I haven’t seen in a long damn time. “I might not hate the sound of that as much as I used to.”
“I guess that’s a start.” I squeeze her hand. “Want to grab something to eat?”
“Uh, uh, uhh. I decided it was my turn to do the wooing. I’ve got plans for us.” She pulls a box from behind her back and hands it to me.
“What’s this?” I pull on the black-velvet bow as Lindy smiles at me.
“Open it and see.”
I lift the lid and the tissue paper and find a light-gray peacoat and a black cashmere scarf. “You bought me a coat?”
“Yeah, hockey boy. It’s snowing in Washington, and you’ve only got a hoodie with you. Now put it on, and let’s go.”
I slide it over my arms, and Lindy takes the scarf and folds it around my neck. “So handsome.” She smiles at me, and the world feels fucking right. “You ready?”
“Lead the way.” I follow my wife down through the lobby, where a town car is waiting for us out front.
The driver moves to open the door, but I cut him off and hold it open for Lindy, then slide in next to her. “You know, Jules warned me about you Kingstons and your wooing.”
“Can we please not talk about my family tonight? I need a little distance.” She crosses her legs and folds her hands in her lap nervously. “Tonight, I’m embracing being a Hayes.”
“Princess . . . I love you being a Hayes. But a few days ago, you weren’t even sure you wanted to be married. You can’t run away from your family forever. And when you decide you’re ready to be mine, I’m gonna need it to be because you want me, not because you don’t want them.”
“I know.” She lays her hand over mine. “But I realized something when you called earlier.”
“Oh yeah? What did you realize?” I ask her and bring her knuckles to my lips.
“I realized standing up for myself today wasn’t me running away from my family. It was me running toward my life. And I want that life to include you.”
“Lindy . . .”
The driver stops the car. “We’re here, Ms. Kingston.”
“Thank you. I think we should be about an hour.”
I look through the tinted windows at the twinkling lights in front of us. “Where are we?”
“You’ll see.” She opens the door and tugs me out after her. “I just thought we could use a little fun tonight.”
We walk through a roped-off parking area to a small ticket booth and then into a Christmas Village. Holiday lights are strung across the aisles, highlighting booths full of food and games. A twenty-foot-tall, lit tree is off to one side, with Santa sitting in a big red, regal-looking chair and a line of kids in front of him. In the center of it all is an outdoor ice rink and skate rental. I tug down Lindy’s soft white hat until the fuzzy white pompom bounces. “We going skating, princess?”
“We sure are, hockey boy.” She tugs on the collar of my peacoat. “Wanna watch me kick your ass?”